An interactive portrait series exploring the UK immigration debate. GET INVOLVED >

Anonymous

Anonymous

Boris Johnson

Mayor of London

"London is perhaps the most cosmopolitan city on earth; there are 300 languages spoken on the streets, and the recent waves of immigration have unquestionably added to the cultural and commercial dynamism of the capital. Of the 8.6 million people in London (and growing fast) 38 per cent were born abroad – probably the highest proportion since Roman times.That is, I suppose, a tribute to London’s attractiveness as a place to live, and to the success of an economy that now contributes about a quarter of UK GDP."

Samir Salimi

Dr. Wassim Alsindi

CEO of Tenhertz

Wassim - made in Iraq, born in England.

Wassim’s parents are from Baghdad. They came to England in 1979 for their honeymoon, and stayed when his father qualified to practise surgery in the UK shortly after. As a result they avoided the long war with Iran and subsequent Allied invasions. Wassim trained as a scientist, and has a PhD in Photophysics. He ran an internet company in his 20s. He is the creative director of The Centrifuge electronic arts collective, curator of Norbergfestival in Sweden and CEO of TenHertz, a bespoke robotics laboratory based in Brighton.

"In my mind, one of the things we should celebrate most about the UK is how our multicultural society improves our intellectual diversity. We're privileged to have such bright minds converging here, augmenting our amazing track record in innovation with fresh perspectives and inspirations."

www.tenhertz.com

Fadia Qaraman

Actress

I never really know what to “label” myself as – I was born in Britain so therefore I am technically British. But when people ask me where I’m from, or say, “are you British?”, I tell them straight away that I am half Palestinian, half Finnish – I am proud of the fact that I am mixed, and I am weirdly more open nowadays about the fact that I am Palestinian, because of the situation there.

I spent two weeks in Palestine two years ago. That was the first time I had been there for ten years. It was the most amazing trip I have ever been on – all of my childhood memories where exactly the same – the sun, the brick buildings, the baby blue railing on the path up to our house. The people are the most friendly and welcoming that I have ever come across, and will feed you 24 hours a day! It’s such a shame that that side of Palestine will never be reported in the media.

Ania

Music Media Planner and Buyer

My mum came to London in 1981 whilst on a gap year before her last year at university in Warsaw, Poland. Due to the martial law that was put in place in Poland in December 1981, my mum was unable to return back to Warsaw. By the time it was safe to go back to Poland a few years later, she had made a life for herself here.

Who knows, if it weren’t for the martial law, I may have been born and raised in Poland!

Both of my parents are Polish, but being born in England and having lived here all my life, I feel British and I’ve never felt like an outsider here. However, my Polish roots and traditions have and always will play a significant part in my life.

Nyla Levy

Writer & Actress

When I was younger I used to get embarrassed about my ethnicity, as I wasn't classed as ‘British’ by a lot of the kids at school. I pretended to be Spanish or Italian to avoid getting judged or teased... Now I love my mixed ethnicity.

I respect my parents for everything they have endured as a result of being an 'immigrant'. Especially my Mother, who has frequently experienced racism since moving to London when she was 10 years old. My mother is East African Asian and my Father is Canadian. I call myself a Chimmigrant (Child of immigrants), and proudly so! Yes, this is a made up word, but I feel the word 'immigrant' has had such bad connotations recently, that I want to embrace it (My two fingers up to Nige!)

I was born and bred in the UK, and still want to feel connected to my parents' journeys. Without the freedom of immigration my parents would never have met, and I wouldn’t exist.

Mark Murray

I believe in equality and I am all about community love and support. I am a person who knows what a struggle is.

I don’t believe in borders. I don’t see why people shouldn’t be free to live where they want and seek refuge.

I think the government policies towards immigrants are despicable. We are constantly going to war for the justification that leaders treat their people badly. We talk about terror, but we cause terror! Here and all over the world. I don't believe this government is for us, for the people. They are there to protect the interests of the wealthy and those who have the same number of commas in their pay checks as they do.

Christian Johnson

Alex Williams

Entrepreneur, Writer & Youth Worker

The product of immigrants, I would not be here today were it not for immigration. Half Jamaican, half Polish, a blend of two of the UK’s biggest immigrant populations. Immigration is diversity. Immigration is beauty. Immigration is the future.

Clifton Nelson

MC

I don’t think we should be so aggressively anti-immigration because we in this country expect to be able to travel freely all over the world and live wherever we want. If other countries close their borders on us and stopped allowing us to take their resources we wouldn’t survive.

I am 21 years old and I believe that even if someone else controls the world I still control my world.

Brett Martin

Self-employed

Immigration is a big issue in the UK. I think the main reason is not because it is "over crowded", or "foreigners are taking our jobs"; it is because of the negative way in which the Media portray immigrants as a drain on society. In actual fact, most immigrants are hard working, pay taxes and actually contribute to the economy.

In most cases, immigrants have come to the UK because the economy where they come from is so bad that they cannot make a decent wage to live on (even skilled workers like Doctors for example). In extreme cases, some have fled their own homes and countries, leaving what little they had behind, for fear of being killed by corrupt Government Forces. Wouldn't you do the same?

I understand that immigration may be a hot issue, and a juicy bit of bait for politicians to dangle in front of the masses come election season. But look around you, is it really as big a "problem" as the newspapers would have you think? Are immigrants to blame for austerity cuts? Are they to blame for the closing down of community centres around the UK? For the lack of funding the NHS has? NO THEY ARE NOT. We must shift our focus from placing the blame on the most vulnerable in our society to companies such as Apple, Topshop, Amazon who make billions of pounds in the UK, but pay hardly anything in taxes due to tax loop holes. Not to mention banks like HSBC helping its wealthiest clients to dodge taxes. All of this tax money could be used to make the quality of British people's lives better. Then I doubt immigration would be such a hot topic.

I think we all forget that we are HUMANS first. We are all the same. The amazing thing is that in this day and age, we live in a country where we are lucky enough to be able to walk down the street and meet people from all over the world, from different cultures with different views. Not many countries can claim to be as successfully multi-cultural as the UK. It is easy to forget the benefits of immigration when we are constantly being told that immigration is to blame for all the negative aspects of society. I recognise that the UK is an island, with limited land mass, so immigration must be addressed and possibly regulated. But immigrants should not be vilified. After all, if you go back far enough in your family history, you will find that we are all immigrants.

Jayson Olsim

Chef

Phrakhru Siridhammapadipa

Abbot of the Dhammapadipa Temple

Wilasinee Walton

Tarot Cards Reader

Sit Sukphol

Land and Property Maintenance and Improvement at Inside & Out

I do landscaping, topiary, mowing, fencing, painting, brickwork and more. I’ve had my photo taken before because my work has been in magazines.

Capt. Mahendra Limbu

Git Bahadur Gurung

Pushpa Sunuwar

Police Constable and former Chair of Naya Yuva

Coming over to England at the age of 17 to lead a life in a new system/community is not only a massive culture shock but also a huge challenge. There is lots of excitement but also the danger of losing confidence due to a lack of the right guidance, and this can shatter the abilities and attitude inside a young soul.

Embracing my experience and struggle, I joined the local youth club, Naya Yuva (New Generation), to help other new Nepalese youth build their confidence and integrate into a settled community. And I want to carry on helping and inspiring the youth of my community. This passion also led me to become the first ever Nepalese female Constable in the UK Police force. I believe this is not only an example of representation and integration but also a story of struggle and challenge that I hope is an inspiration to other young people.

Being on the radar of a minority community can be very positive. Government projects, locally or nationally, can be a golden opportunity. Young people should believe in themselves and go for it. Underestimating our own ability can only bring us down and destroy confidence, which is so important.

Please visit Pushpa's Just Giving page where she is raising money for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal.

Ian Dunt

Political journalist

People say you can't talk about immigration, but we've heard littleelse for the last few years. The trouble is, we only ever hear one story – that of the people who want less immigration. We never hear the story of the refugee who escaped from torture and started a new life here, or the cleaner who goes to work at 4am and wipes your desk before you arrive, or the men and women trapped in detention centres, never knowing when they'll get out. I tell those stories, so that people who have been made voiceless are able to make themselves heard.

Keith Taylor

Green MEP for South East England

Too often on immigration, people are forced to defend and react to scare stories so I feel that it's time to start setting the agenda. Immigration is great and we shouldn't be afraid to say it. The UK is a remarkable place because of the fact there is so much diversity in culture on display. Additionally, without migrants some of our most treasured public services such as the NHS would soon fall apart.

Petr Rech

Builder

I went to the UK for a better life. My girlfriend left me so I wanted to start again. My hobbies; girls, wines, singing.

Frantisek Heinz

Builder

I am from the Czech Republic. I always wanted to discover the world and travel. But I must learn English and earn money. The UK is the best place for me to achieve these ambitions. So I am here. I work as a builder. I like London because there are more possibilities than in the Czech Republic. I do sports. I like visiting the parks with my friends and playing games. And visiting the clubs, the sights and museums. I really like that.

Balwinder Singh

Construction Worker

Michele Ahluwalia

MidwifeNHS

Living in the Sikh community as an Irish woman, I feel part of the culture. I no longer see differences in colour or race. We are all the same.

Aman Ahluwalia

My parents are the first Catholic and Sikh to get married in Gravesend. But people don’t make a big deal out of it.

Isher Singh

I work with a charity called Khalsa Bikers. Our main aim to is to raise money to help those who are less fortunate, regardless of their religion, gender, or where they came from.

As a Sikh I believe everyone should be treated equally and have the same opportunity to live a healthy and happy life.

Gurpal Sahota

Capt. Gurmail Singh Notha

Air and Marine CaptainMember of the Merchant Navy Association

I lived here since 1989. The UK is a nice country. There are lots of historical places and museums worth seeing.

I first came here as a visitor, my friends were here and they told me to come. Before, I was a Captain in the American Merchant Navy. I like the system in England. The education system is good, the system of government is very nice, the law and order, equal opportunities and the judiciary. I have been interviewed to become a magistrate in the UK.

I am a doctor of Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicine and I provide medicine and help for free. It’s my hobby. I like to do service for charity.

Jatinder Sondh

Ajeet Singh

I think immigration is a big subject. You have to communicate and socialise. There are some extremist people that come and want to make everything their own way, but they have to adjust a little bit.

At school it doesn’t make a difference whether you’re Sikh or whatever. We all hang out together. My mates know I’m a Sikh person because of my turban and my identity. There’s no problem with that.

Manjeet Kaur

I don’t think they should open the door too wide to everyone, as not everyone is willing to work. The government offers them too many benefits.

Sewa Singh Lalli

President of the Khalistan Government in Exile

I am a man of peace. I am a British citizen, and I live in Gravesend. Sikhs from around the UK selected me to be the leader of the Khalistan government in exile. This happened in June 1984, after the Indian Government attacked the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

My message is: Keep peace, love God, love humanity.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Gurbax Singh

Director – Business Administration

Many Politicians/people are seeing the issue of immigration from a narrow prospective. Around the Second World War, Britain asked people to come over to the UK and build roads, infrastructure and economy. Sikhs fought in WW1 & WW2 for western countries, but this is largely forgotten because we aren’t in touch with history.

The general opinion in the west is everyone who is coming here from outside is not good for the economy, but it’s just not the case. It becomes a political issue, especially with the general election. But they should look at the big picture.

The problem runs deeply, because it leads to classification of human race. With this diversity, people from different communities might have different ways of living and arguably bring good and bad aspects of their rituals/cultures. And in current global scenario, it’s complicated.

Sunita Kour Bali

Healthcare Student

Immigration is a nice way of sharing culture and traditions. It gives an opportunity for immigrants to see the world from a different perspective. But sometimes immigration can be the cause of conflicts between people of different cultures. So every effort should be made to keep the world a peaceful place to live in. No matter we are from different countries but we all share the same planet.

Jgeer Kaur Dulai

I am a fun-loving person and very family oriented.

Sewa Singh

Construction Worker

I’ve only been here a month, my family lives in Spain. I’ve been living in Spain for 15 years. I have always been treated with respect wherever I have lived. I like both Spain and the UK. I volunteer, and I am an anti-drugs activist. I also am good at singing religious songs.

Santokh Singh Cheema

Student

My great grandfather came to the UK in 1956, he worked hard and contributed to society. I have fought in tournaments and represented Great Britain in knockdown karate (Kyokushinkai) in Europe. I am proud to be British and a Sikh.

Peter Ogunsalu

Brand Manager

TOLERANCE.

Xinran

Author and Charity Founder

“After eight years on my radio show and talking to so many Chinese women, I needed to recharge my batteries and broaden my international horizons… I didn’t think that it would be a long-term move at all. It's my British friends and the richness of the European culture, and the possibility for me to represent the voice of Chinese women, together with a hope that my son might gain a better future in the West: all of these made me ‘plant’ my late future in the UK.”(Source - Papertigers)

I wish my research and writing could be part of a bridge between China and the West, between cultural understandings, between mothers, and between a mother and her never forgotten baby. There are over 150,000 Chinese children who have been adopted by western families across the world, and they are all on a long march to find their own identity, to understand their culture, enjoy the love of their adoptive families – and to understand how much they mean to their Chinese mothers.

Clara Duggan

Masters Student/ Future Analyst at Accenture LondonImperial College Business School

I am from an immigrant nation. For centuries Irish people have been leaving home in search of opportunities and experiences overseas. The population of Ireland is 4.5 million but the number of people who regard themselves as Irish around the world reaches 80 million. If these levels of immigration are to be upsetting to anyone, it ought to be to the Irish taxpayers who subsidised our education through secondary school and University.

I did not come to London to steal anyone's job or cause any disruption. I came to London to learn and because I believe I have skills and experiences which can be better utilised in the UK market than in the Irish market at present. London is a city of many things: culture, history, finance, technology, but most of all, it is one of diversity. It is diverse because of the wide range of people who have come here with their skills and experience. This diversity has made London prosperous. Diversity has been proven to breed creativity and creativity breeds growth. The “immigrants” of London and the UK have come here and have added to the labour force and have spent their wages in the UK economy. There will always be exceptions, of course, but surely it is clear that the benefits of immigration outweigh the few ”risks”.

Samira Musa

Mo Sulhan

Digital Developer and Marketer

I left Somalia at the age of three with my mother and I alone. The plan was that my Father would follow us after a few years of saving up for a plane ticket. Unfortunately he never made it but his last words to me were, “Look after mum for me”. I now run an award winning digital agency doing something that I love and my mom is happier than ever. I kept my promise dad RIP.

Justin Ner

IT Professional

I’m an American here for a short stay and being from the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve been accustomed to growing up alongside different cultures my whole life. I’ve quite enjoyed my time in London and I think it’s beautiful to see how ethnically diverse the city is. I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jordan Anthony Magtoto

Director, Quaystone Ltd

My name is Jordan, I am from a family of migrants who moved to London in the 70s in search for a better life. My parents moved from the Philippines, a cultural milkshake of food and people and an archipelago of 7107 islands.

I was born in London with my twin sisters and have always been cognisant of the strengths and struggles of the Diaspora. Now I help run a social impact platform called NextDayBetter which helps showcase the amazing stories from these communities.

Ultimately, I believe in unity through diversity. As in chess, you have to unify diverse pieces to win, and ultimately learn.

Simon White

Founder at Formation London

I am from a family of migrants. A Jewish family that fled their homes in 1933, finding a welcome of sorts in the UK. Two/three generations on, I am English. But I understand the struggle. If you’ve taken the time and made the effort to get there that’s a feat many wouldn’t undertake. It’s called tenacity, and it’s something to be proud of. That has given me an ethic that drives me onwards.

Rina Atienza

Social Engineer

My half English and half American Indian grandfather, was born in Woolwich Arsenal. Fed up of the weather, he moved to the Philippines after WW2 and married my grandmother.

Though I was born in Manila, I’ve been a proud North Londoner for 21 years. My day job is within the communications industry, but I'm also the founder of Evil Schemes Ltd. I’m not really evil, just radically scheming to make the world a nicer, more human place to live in.

Nikki Bedi

Broadcaster/ social lubricant

I am the daughter of an Indian doctor who came to the UK in the 60s and married my mother - an English nurse. He became a super-assmilated Brit and and I was slightly robbed of my Indian heritage. I moved to India and became the Indian I needed to be, and my duality turned me into one person. Being an immigrant myself taught me so much. The anti-immigration rhetoric we hear today upsets me. The very “rivers of blood” Enoch Powell so feared course through my veins and make me who I am.

Daniel Lawrence Taylor

Arunima Rajkumar

BA Photojournalism Student at London College of Communication

I came to the UK 7 years back with my parents but I never felt like an outsider! Maybe because I went to an international boarding school in England. I think the word ‘Immigrant’ itself has become a shameful thing for some reason. All I want to say is that immigrants are also ‘humans’. I study photojournalism so that I can spread awareness about issues and immigration happens to be one.

Dave Cohen

Comedian

I love this country, and one of the things that makes me most proud to be English is the way in which the vast majority of you are so tolerant and kindly disposed to us immigrants. Thanks for having me.

Piers Russell-Cobb

I grew up in a musical household where the only barrier to entry was talent. Arcadia Books publishes writers from all over the world. Translations are immigrants and make the finest companions.

Julian Firth

Actor/Writer

Migration is an evolutionary force, driven by economics, race, disease, hate, famine, climate, religion - history speaks of the fact that those who adapt to its demands, and meet the needs of those forced into it, are the ones that lead humanity ahead of history, into the future.

Kristiane Backer

TV presenter, journalist, author

Jihyun Park

North Korean Human Rights Activist

During the famine in the 1990s I escaped to China with my brother. But when I arrived I was forced to marry a stranger, who bought me for 5000 Yuan (equiv. £500). I gave birth to my son and lived like a slave. Then the authorities discovered me and sent me back to North Korea and I was imprisoned in a labour camp.

I contracted tetanus and was discharged from the camp because I was unable to work. I escaped to China and managed to find my son. As we tried to cross into Mongolia we were rescued by another North Korean who later became my husband. Together we finally came to the UK as refugees.

I chose to come to England because in North Korea we learned English history – the place of Ladies & Gentlemen, Kings & Queens, and Laurel & Hardy! It was a safe country – not like USA or South Korea.

In Manchester, there are a lot of immigrants. I found it to be very confusing at first, as different people have different cultures – it made me angry because people would shout abuse at me and my children, saying we were Chinese and calling us rude names.

Now, the abuse has stopped and we are happy. Last September, my oldest son was made Head Boy at his school and I was very proud. He is doing GCSEs and his results have led to him being invited to visit Oxford University.

I now work for the European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea (EAHRNK), an NGO that raises awareness of human rights abuses in North Korea. I am happy in this job as I feel I am giving my fellow North Koreans a voice and helping to make a positive impact.

Professor Ash Amin

Director of Research in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge

In my book Land of Strangers I argue that modern societies are constitutionally mixed and globally connected whether they like it or not, so there is no getting away from migration. Thus, the choice lies between an aspic nostalgia for ethnic nation that ends up being xenophopic and out of place, and a forward looking cosmopolitanism at ease with difference and the multiethnic society, looking to the future and the outside with confidence and curiosity.

The current situation in the UK is a xenophobic one, with few parties speaking out against its perils and for the open and plural society, which can always manage migration and mixity in fair and democratic ways. It can only end badly for Britain both internally and externally, for there is no pure nation to return to.

Sir Leszek Borysiewicz

Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge

I was born in Cardiff to Polish parents who came to Britain as refugees. They were victims of European conflict, captured in Eastern Poland at the outbreak of the Second World War and imprisoned in Siberia.

After their release, they found a welcome here. I am alarmed and upset at the way immigration is talked about in the media and by politicians in the UK. Migration has always helped the economies of the countries who receive migrants. But the way we are talking about migration is putting off talented people from coming here.

My parents inspired me to work hard, to study and to learn. I studied medicine and have spent my life in science, helping to develop a vaccine against cervical cancer, working to prevent unnecessary deaths in West Africa, and running the UK’s Medical Research Council. Now I am Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. I am lucky to have such a fantastic career. But none of this would have been possible if my parents had not found a home here. I passionately believe this is part of our heritage, our culture and our humanity.

​Professor Graeme Barker

Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, University of Cambridge

My archaeological fieldwork has involved working in many countries including Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Italy, Malaysia and Mozambique, and working with close colleagues in all these countries and from many other countries. The three UK universities I have worked at have all been international, with staff and students from many countries contributing to their rich teaching and research environments.

I have long been depressed by the tone of the immigration debate in Britain, and message of the fear of ‘the other’ sent out by so many politicians and elements of the press. For the past few years I have been working on the dispersal of our species out of Africa and around the globe many thousands of years ago, and on the later spread of farmers, both episodes in our history emphasising the capacity of humans to move to new environments and make new relationships. UK universities attract teachers, researchers and students from all over the world and weld ‘home’ and ‘away’ talent into world-beating international communities. Society as a whole would be hugely the poorer without that diversity of perceptions of who we are and where we are going as a species.

Dr Geoffrey Edwards

Migration is a global issue that Europe, including the UK, has tackled in a piecemeal fashion reflecting domestic concerns in ways that undermine any claims to normative leadership. There is only a limited sense of solidarity within or humanity without. Given Europe's role in contributing to the problems from which so many refugees are fleeing, the EU, including the UK, should recognise their particular responsibilities and improve both their asylum policies and their aid and foreign policy efforts.

Dr Ha-Joon Chang

Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge

Especially in difficult economic times, such as the 1930s or today, disaffected native workers, manipulated by right wing populist politicians, come to believe that their woes have largely been caused by immigrants.

But, much bigger causes of stagnant wages and declining working conditions are in the realm of corporate strategy and government economic policy: shareholder value maximisation by corporations, which requires squeezing workers, poor macroeconomic policies that create unnecessary amounts of unemployment, inadequate systems for skills training that make local workers uncompetitive and so on.

Unfortunately, the inability and the unwillingness of mainstream politicians to tackle those underlying structural issues have created the space for anti-immigrant parties in many rich countries.

Paolo Martino

Vishal

Software Developer

I come from a family of immigrants. My grandparents immigrated to Fiji in order to give my parents a better life. Who in turn immigrated to Canada to afford me the same opportunity. Working at Migreat has been a joy because I can try and give others a hand in their quest for their immigrant story. Immigration policy may not be perfect but I hope together we can ignite dialog that carries it there.

Chrysa Kirmitsaki

User Experience (UX) Developer at Migreat

Maybe I should talk about immigration but the thing is that no one ever made me feel a foreigner or that I'm unwanted here. I never felt like a burden on society since for each opportunity I'm offered I give in return my knowledge, my passion and my energy.

I think London is something unique. The best place to see that above all we are all humans. I have friends from all over the world and while we respect each other, in matters such as religion, political ideas etc, we still have the same fears, laugh at the same jokes, make similar dreams for the future.

Josephine

Director of Partnerships at Migreat

A majority of people are not free to move out of their country and are treated like second-class citizens because of the colour of their passport.

Take the example of Afghanistan: if you have an Afghani passport, you are only allowed to travel to 28 countries in the world without the need of a visa – and yet, there are no direct flight from Kabul to those countries. So you can’t get out.

Nobody chooses where he/she is born. It would be fair to give everyone a chance to move where their heart is – and where they can make themselves and others around them happy.

Can we not fully embrace the good side of immigration: a positive reallocation of talent around the world, and make it less sound like a threat to security, welfare and local cultures?

Cristoffer Harlos

Director, Content Operations & Strategy at Migreat

I cannot imagine a world without immigration. Immigrants only want a better life for themselves and contribute immensely to their new home countries, both culturally and economically. I’m a second generation immigrant to Sweden and a first generation immigrant to Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and now the UK. In all the places I’ve lived and visited I’ve always been welcomed and accepted with open arms. It should be the same for everyone, everywhere - regardless of origin or ethnicity.

Liam

I have the privilege, as a white Canadian, to be described as an ‘expat’, which is another word for ‘immigrant,' but refers to those of us with white skin, who - unlike other immigrants - are apparently free from blame for everything that goes wrong in a society.

I’ve several times found white British people making comments to me about ‘immigrants’ creating one problem or another. I always ask if they are referring to me in that generalisation, which eventually gets them to state more explicitly that it is black and brown people that they don’t like.

This is an important clarification because it makes clear that the 'immigration debate' is just the latest way to express racism, without using words that would be legally considered hate speech.

Juliet

As a resident of Barnet I feel I’m between a rock and a deep blue sea. I can’t climb and I can’t swim. And there is no one from Barnet homes who are willing to help me at this crucial time in my life. I have no home, I feel I have no value to Barnet any more because this is what they are pushing on to me.

Shireen Taha

Ex-resident of Sweets Way

I moved here when got I married. I’m of Palestinian origin, raised in Qatar, and have lived in London since 1996. I have two sons who were born in London.

When I was evicted from Sweets Way, I understood what my parents went through when they left their homes in Palestine. Because the way our people left … clothes everywhere, toys, personal photos, personal things. It was really sad to see these things.

Every house where love abides, and friendship is a guest, is surely home. And Sweets Way was home. Where the real community started. It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a community.

Daniel

Zlatka Doynova

Personal assistant and activist

We look different. We believe in different religions. But basically understand all that we’re all the same people and are out to be safe and treated as humans being. The Barnet council doesn’t meet the needs of each family.